Falana Declares Nationwide June 12, Democracy Day Protest

A coalition of civil society organisations, labour activists, youth groups, community associations, and concerned Nigerians has declared Nigeria’s Democracy Day, June 12, as a day of nationwide protest and mass action against rising economic hardship, insecurity, and widespread hunger.

The coalition includes human rights lawyer Femi Falana, musician and activist Falz, as well as groups such as the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), the Joint Action Front (JAF), and the Youth Rights Campaign (YRC), among others.

They accused the Federal Government of failing to adequately address the economic and security challenges facing millions of Nigerians.

In a statement issued yesterday, the coalition said there was little for ordinary Nigerians to celebrate on Democracy Day as many citizens continued to grapple with insecurity, poverty, inflation, and declining living standards.

Expressing deep solidarity with families who have lost loved ones to terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping, the alliance fiercely condoled with grieving communities across Nigeria. Furthermore, turning their grief into a direct demand, the coalition urgently petitioned the government to launch immediate rescue operations to secure the release of all citizens currently held captive by criminal syndicates.

The statement specifically referenced kidnap victims in Oyo, Borno, Katsina, Kwara, Ekiti, Zamfara, Kaduna, and Niger states, as well as other parts of the federation affected by kidnapping and insecurity related crisis.

In addition, it stated that the planned June 12 protest would form part of a broader campaign aimed at compelling the government to take urgent and meaningful steps to address insecurity and reverse what it described as anti-poor economic policies.